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Elite PowerPoint Designer

Transform content into world-class presentations with the design quality of Apple keynotes, Microsoft product launches, and Google I/O. This skill applies 2024-2025 presentation design trends and brand-level consistency to create stunning, professional slide decks.

Core Design Philosophy

Principles:

Minimalism First - Remove everything that doesn't serve a clear purpose
Bold & Clear - Large typography, high contrast, confident colors
Visual Hierarchy - Guide attention through size, color, and spacing
Consistent Branding - Every element follows the design system
Purposeful Motion - Animations only where they add clarity or emphasis

When to Use This Skill

User requests a "professional presentation" or "pitch deck"
Converting markdown or text to PowerPoint
User mentions "world-class," "high-quality," or "brand-level" design
Creating presentations for business, sales, product launches, or keynotes
User wants "Apple/Microsoft/Google style" presentations
Request includes terms: slides, deck, presentation, PowerPoint, PPTX

Design System & Brand Styles

Available Brand Styles

1. Tech Keynote (Apple/Tesla Style)

Colors: Deep blacks (#000000), whites (#FFFFFF), accent blue (#0071E3)
Typography: SF Pro Display (title 72-96pt), SF Pro Text (body 32-44pt)
Layout: Extreme whitespace, single focal point per slide
Transitions: Push, Fade (duration: 0.6s)
Style: Minimalist, premium, product-focused

2. Corporate Professional (Microsoft/IBM Style)

Colors: Navy (#003366), steel blue (#0078D4), warm gray (#F3F2F1)
Typography: Segoe UI (title 54-72pt), body (24-32pt)
Layout: Balanced, grid-based, data-friendly
Transitions: Morph, Fade (duration: 0.8s)
Style: Trustworthy, data-driven, enterprise-ready

3. Creative Bold (Google/Airbnb Style)

Colors: Bright primaries, gradients, bold combinations
Typography: Product Sans or Montserrat (title 64-84pt)
Layout: Dynamic, asymmetric, playful spacing
Transitions: Zoom, Reveal (duration: 0.5s)
Style: Energetic, innovative, design-forward

4. Financial Elite (Goldman Sachs/McKinsey Style)

Colors: Charcoal (#2C3E50), gold accent (#D4AF37), white
Typography: Garamond or Georgia (serif, elegant)
Layout: Traditional hierarchy, centered, balanced
Transitions: Subtle Fade only (duration: 0.4s)
Style: Sophisticated, authoritative, premium

5. Startup Pitch (Y Combinator/500 Startups Style)

Colors: High contrast black/white with brand accent
Typography: Inter or Roboto (modern sans-serif)
Layout: Problem-solution focused, metric-heavy
Transitions: Quick Push (duration: 0.3s)
Style: Energetic, data-driven, founder-friendly

Workflow Process

Step 1: Analyze Content & Select Style

python scripts/analyze_content.py input.md

Analysis considers:

Content type (business, creative, technical, financial)
Audience (executives, investors, customers, technical)
Tone indicators in content (formal, energetic, innovative)
Explicit style requests in frontmatter

Auto-selects brand style or asks user:

Tech Keynote for product launches, demos
Corporate Professional for business reports, proposals
Creative Bold for marketing, design showcases
Financial Elite for investor decks, financial reports
Startup Pitch for fundraising, accelerator demos

Step 2: Parse Content & Map to Templates

Slide Type Detection:

# Title → title_slide (hero treatment)
## Section → chapter_intro (section divider)
### Main Points → key_message_slide (1-3 key points)
* Bullets → bullet_hierarchy_slide (visual bullets)
> Quote → quote_slide (large, impactful)
![image] → full_bleed_image (immersive)
| table | → data_visualization (auto-chart if numeric)
---metrics--- → metrics_dashboard (KPI showcase)

Step 3: Apply Design System

Typography Hierarchy:

Hero Title: 72-96pt, Bold, 1.1x line height
Section Title: 54-72pt, Semibold, 1.2x line height
Slide Title: 44-54pt, Semibold, 1.3x line height
Body Large: 32-36pt, Regular, 1.4x line height
Body: 24-28pt, Regular, 1.5x line height
Caption: 18-20pt, Light, 1.6x line height

Spacing System:

Gutter: 100-120px from edges
Title margin-bottom: 60-80px
Section spacing: 40-60px
Paragraph spacing: 24-32px
Bullet indent: 40px
Element padding: 20-30px

Color Application:

Background: Brand background (usually white/black)
Primary: Titles, key elements, CTAs
Secondary: Subtitles, secondary text
Accent: Highlights, data points, emphasis
Text: 95% opacity for readability

Step 4: Intelligent Template Selection

Use Office-PowerPoint-MCP-Server's 25+ templates with intelligent mapping:

Content Type → Template

Opening/Closing → title_slide, thank_you_slide
New Section → chapter_intro
Key Points (1-3) → key_metrics_dashboard
Comparison → before_after_comparison, chart_comparison
Process → process_flow, timeline_slide
Team → team_introduction
Data → data_table_slide, chart layouts
Mixed Content → two_column_text, three_column_layout
Full Image → full_image_slide
Quote/Testimonial → quote_testimonial

Step 5: Apply Professional Polish

Transitions & Animations:

Slide Transitions: 1-2 types max per deck, matching brand style
Duration: 0.3s (fast), 0.6s (medium), 0.8s (slow) based on brand
Entrance Animations: Fade In for text (0.4s), optional Wipe for images
Emphasis: Pulse on key numbers/metrics (once, subtle)
Exit: Fade Out only (0.3s)
Rule: Never more than 3 animated elements per slide

Visual Effects:

# Apply to all text boxes
shadow = {
    "distance": 2,
    "angle": 135,
    "blur": 4,
    "transparency": 60%
}

# Apply to images
overlay = {
    "gradient": "linear",
    "opacity": 20%  # for text readability
}

Step 6: Consistency Validation

python scripts/validate_consistency.py output.pptx

Checks:

Font consistency (max 2 font families)
Color palette adherence (all colors from design system)
Spacing consistency (margins, gutters, padding)
Template usage (appropriate for content)
Animation timing (within brand guidelines)
Image quality (minimum 1920x1080)

Template Mapping Reference

High-Impact Opening

# Your Big Idea
## Transforming the Future of X

→ title_slide
- Title: 96pt, brand primary
- Subtitle: 36pt, brand secondary
- Background: Gradient or solid brand color
- Animation: Fade in title (0.8s), then subtitle (0.6s)

Key Message (The "One Thing")

### 94% Customer Satisfaction
Our users love the new experience

→ key_metrics_dashboard (single metric variation)
- Metric: 144pt, center, brand accent
- Context: 28pt, below metric
- Background: Clean, minimal
- Animation: Count up number (1.2s)

Problem/Solution

## The Challenge
Current systems are slow and complex

## Our Solution
Fast, simple, and intuitive

→ before_after_comparison
- Split screen: left (problem) vs right (solution)
- Visual contrast: muted left, bright right
- Icons or images to reinforce message

Process or Timeline

## Our Roadmap
1. Q1: Foundation
2. Q2: Growth
3. Q3: Scale
4. Q4: Leadership

→ timeline_slide or process_flow
- Horizontal flow with arrows
- Color progression (light to bold)
- Dates: 32pt, stages: 44pt

Data Visualization

| Quarter | Revenue | Growth |
|---------|---------|--------|
| Q1      | $2.4M   | 15%    |
| Q2      | $3.1M   | 29%    |

→ Auto-convert to chart_comparison or data_table_slide
- If trends: Line or column chart
- If comparisons: Bar chart
- If parts/whole: Pie chart (use sparingly)
- Keep it simple: 1 chart per slide

Animation & Transition Guidelines

Professional Transition Rules

Tier 1: Always Safe (Use liberally)

Fade (0.6s) - Universal, elegant
Push (0.4s) - Clean, directional
Morph (0.8s) - PowerPoint only, sophisticated

Tier 2: Use Sparingly (Special moments)

Zoom (0.5s) - Product reveals, before/after
Reveal (0.6s) - Section transitions
Wipe (0.5s) - Image-heavy decks

Tier 3: Avoid (Unprofessional)

Ferris Wheel, Curtains, Dissolve, Origami - Never use

Animation Best Practices

The "AHA!" Moment Rule:

Pick 1-2 critical slides per deck
Apply single emphasis animation (Pulse, Grow)
Duration: 0.8-1.0s
Happens once, not on loop

Text Animation:

# Professional entrance
effect = "Fade In"
duration = 0.4
delay_between_bullets = 0.3  # If bullets, stagger

Image Animation:

# Optional for product shots or key visuals
effect = "Wipe" or "Fade In"
duration = 0.6
direction = "From Bottom" # Natural, like rising

Advanced Features

Auto-Generated Section Dividers

===
# Part Two: Growth Strategy
===

→ Auto-creates chapter_intro with:
- Full-screen background (brand gradient)
- Large centered text (84pt)
- Fade to black transition (1.0s)

Smart Image Handling

![hero](image.jpg)
![thumb](small.jpg) ![thumb](small2.jpg)

→ Detects image size/role:
- Large/hero: full_image_slide with overlay for text
- Multiple: two_column or grid layout
- Auto-crops to 16:9
- Applies subtle gradient overlay (20%) if text present

Metrics Auto-Emphasis

We achieved **94%** customer satisfaction and **$2.4M** in revenue.

→ Auto-detects numbers with emphasis:
- Extracts: 94%, $2.4M
- Creates: key_metrics_dashboard
- Animates: Count-up effect (1.2s)
- Styling: Large (144pt), brand accent color

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, ensure:

Visual Consistency:

All slides use design system colors (no random colors)
Typography follows hierarchy (no more than 4 font sizes)
Spacing is consistent (same margins, padding throughout)
Alignment is precise (everything lines up to grid)

Content Clarity:

One main idea per slide
Titles are clear and action-oriented
No "walls of text" (max 6 lines body text)
Images are high-resolution (min 1920x1080)

Motion & Polish:

Transitions are consistent (1-2 types only)
Animation duration feels natural (not too fast/slow)
No distracting motion (failed the "boardroom test")
Emphasis animations only on critical moments

Brand Alignment:

Colors match selected brand style
Typography matches brand style
Layout follows brand conventions
Overall aesthetic feels cohesive

Examples

See examples/ folder for:

tech-keynote-example.md → tech-keynote-output.pptx
investor-pitch-example.md → investor-pitch-output.pptx
corporate-report-example.md → corporate-report-output.pptx

Requirements

MCP Server: Office-PowerPoint-MCP-Server

# Install via Smithery
npx @smithery/cli install @gongrzhe/office-powerpoint-mcp-server

# Or local setup
pip install python-pptx

Python Packages:

pip install python-pptx pillow pyyaml

Tips for Best Results

Start with Style: Add frontmatter to markdown with desired brand style
```
---
style: tech-keynote
accent-color: "#0071E3"
---
```
Less is More: Aim for 1 slide per minute of presentation time
Image Quality Matters: Use high-res images (min 1920x1080, prefer 4K)
Test Animations: Preview deck to ensure transitions feel professional
Print-Ready: Design also works for PDF export (animations become static)
Accessibility: Maintain 4.5:1 contrast ratio for text readability

Troubleshooting

Issue: Colors don't match brand exactly Solution: Specify exact hex codes in frontmatter:

---
colors:
  primary: "#003366"
  accent: "#0078D4"
  background: "#FFFFFF"
---

Issue: Too much animation Solution: Set animation level in frontmatter:

---
animations: minimal  # minimal, moderate, full
---

Issue: Slides too dense Solution: Follow "6x6 rule" - max 6 bullets, max 6 words per bullet. Claude will auto-split content if needed.

Next-Level Customization

Advanced users can:

Create custom brand JSON in templates/brands/
Define custom slide templates
Add company logo to master slides
Configure font embedding for portability

See templates/CUSTOMIZATION.md for details.

elite-powerpoint-designer

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